Abstract:
Speaking to a crowd of more than 180 at the MichBio Annual Meeting in Ypsilanti on Wednesday night,executive director, Stephen Rapundalo, Ph.D., said, "Perhaps the single most significant development this year for our organization and for the life sciences industry in our state was the award to MichBio of the contract to coordinate Michigan's Life Sciences Pipeline. The Pipeline is an integrated commercialization superhighway that will link key resources that are vital to fast, profitable product development." Through the project, he added, pathways will be developed for the various life science segments, with the goal of moving companies along the development continuumrapidly through education, coaching, matchmaking, funding sources, and other needed services. The pharmaceutical and medical device pathways will be laid out by the end of this year.

"The result of the Pipeline will be a universe where the sharing ofknowledge helps existing companies expand faster, creates an environmentfor new companies to blossom, and entices companies outside of Michigan tolocate here," Rapundalo said. Rapundalo noted that the unthinkable occurred when Pfizer announced inJanuary that it would close its Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo facilities by 2008,but that the rapid response and concerted efforts of various groups toretain a strong life sciences talent pool in Michigan and to create newbusiness venture opportunities has been impressive. In particular, he citedMichBio's Talent Bank Plus online talent search tool which was unveiledlast week for the exclusive use of its members in locating skilledprofessionals for Michigan-based jobs. He noted that despite the Pfizer announcement, "we shouldn't lose sightof the many success stories in the life sciences around the state in recentmonths," citing: -- Kalexsyn, a young and dynamic contract research firm from Kalamazoo who is graduating from the Southwest Michigan Innovation Center, and just broke ground for their new facility. -- PharmOptima, also an Innovation Center tenant, graduating and moving its operations into a new 10,000 square foot facility in the Portage Commerce Park. The company's growth and success, including a collaborative research deal with Pfizer, has earned them the distinction as one of Michigan's 50 Companies to Watch. -- OtoMedicine, a start-up headed by a former Pfizer senior researcher, just last week was one of the first three firms in the state to be awarded funding from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund administered by Ann Arbor SPARK and the other SmartZones. -- Beaumont Hospital, announced that GE Healthcare has entered into product development partnership with their innovative Technology Usability Center. Beaumont engineers and clinical staff will assist the manufacturer towards improving the safety and ease of use of GE's medical technologies. -- Molecular Innovations, a manufacturer and supplier of novel molecular biology products, protein purification, and other services, broke ground last fall for their new Livonia facility with Governor Granholm present. -- NanoBio, an Ann Arbor-based biopharmaceutical company commercializing its patented biologic nanotechnology delivery systems, that successfully raised $30 million in private equity financing, and received an approximate $2.3 million award from the 21st Century Jobs Fund Rapundalo noted that MichBio has renewed its commitment to providingvalue to its membership. "We have been assessing our operations, productsand services earnestly with the clear goal of providing better value andestablishing ourselves as a visible and impactful resource," he said. Inaddition to regular weekly, monthly e-newsletters, an improved website, andits Talent Bank Plus program, MichBio has revitalized its PreferredProvider Program to enable more service providers to offer its membersdiscounted laboratory supplies, business and professional services, officesupplies, furniture, etc. It also participates with Pfizer, Ann Arbor SPARKand Michigan's Smart Zones in the Michigan Innovation Equipment Depot,which facilitates the growth of Michigan life sciences companies withaccess to previously used laboratory equipment. In the area of legislative advocacy, Rapundalo said MichBio is taking amore visible role in crafting a leadership position on life sciencematters. "We've been working to build strategic relationships with keylegislative leaders and the Governor's office and are viewed as a valuedresource to them. "In partnership with other stakeholders, MichBio continues to bestrongly opposed to the repeal of product liability law reform in thebelief that such a measure would have a direct negative impact on thegrowth of the Michigan bioeconomy." Rapundalo also announced that the MichBio Expo, the state's premierlife sciences event, would be held next October 16-17 in Lansing, and willinclude expert panels from across the industry, a Launchpad business plancompetition, exclusive business development meetings with nationalcompanies, exhibits featuring top life science companies and serviceproviders. Jim Greenwood, president and chief executive officer of BIO, hasbeen invited as keynote speaker. The MichBio board recently voted to increase the number of directors bytwo to 15 to expand its representation from around the state. During theAnnual Meeting, MichBio members elected three new board directors and re-elected two others, all to three-year terms, during the meeting. Elected tothe Board were David Felten, M.D., Ph.D., research vice president andResearch Institute medical director, Beaumont Hospitals (Royal Oak);Ricardo (Richard) Fuentes Jr,, global life science director, Dow VentureCapital (Midland); and David Zimmermann, chief executive officer, Kalexsyn,Inc. (Kalamazoo). Re- elected were Michael Kurek, Ph.D., principalconsultant, Biotechnology Business Consultants (Ann Arbor), and KarenStuder-Rabeler, associate director, new business development, University ofMichigan Office of Technology Transfer (Ann Arbor). Two directors retiredfrom the Board. They are Stephen Goldner, J.D., chief executive officer,Regulatory Affairs Associates, LLC (W. Bloomfield), and Jeffery Mason,senior vice president, Michigan Economic Development Corp. (Lansing). Stephen P. MacMillan, president and chief executive officer ofKalamazoo- based Stryker Corporations gave the keynote address at themeeting. MacMillan recapped Stryker growth from a small start-up company inwestern Michigan to one of the worldwide leaders in the medical deviceindustry. He also provided an overview of the dynamic, $225 billion medicaldevices market and detailed how Michigan companies can be participate init.

####

About MichBioMichBio is a statewide, non-profit organization dedicated to drivingthe growth of the life sciences industry in Michigan. The associationserves a diverse membership, including new and established life sciencescompanies, academic and research institutions, as well as service providersand related organizations throughout the state. It provides networking andeducational events, offers a web portal to industry-specific state andnational information, addresses public policy, and is focusing on the humanresource, funding and infrastructure issues affecting Michigan'sbiosciences industry.